


Meeting Mozart

by BuffaloWrites



Category: Classical Music RPF, Historical RPF
Genre: Beethoven, Ludwig van Beethoven - Freeform, mozart - Freeform, wolfgang amadeus mozart - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-23 20:35:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9675131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuffaloWrites/pseuds/BuffaloWrites
Summary: 16 year old Ludwig Van Beethoven is given the opportunity of a lifetime. He's finally able to travel to Vienna in hopes of taking music lessons under Mozart. However, his time is cut short due to his mother's death. There's little information about what happened between Beethoven and Mozart, but this is how I imagined their meeting.





	

It was one of those Once-In-A-Lifetime opportunities that Ludwig could not pass up. His patron, Count Waldstein, had spoken with Elector Max Franz and made the arrangements. Ludwig Van Beethoven would travel to learn under Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart—one of the greatest composers to ever live. Count Waldstein had hired a private carriage to bring Ludwig to Vienna from Bonn. That morning, Ludwig was helping the coachman load his things onto the top of the carriage. Kaspar and Nikolaus stood outside, watching their brother prepare to leave. Ludwig noticed them and glanced at the coachman. “Take your time,” The coachman said.  

Ludwig nodded his thanks and walked over to his brothers. “You’re not leaving forever, are you?” Kaspar asked, remembering the argument that erupted between Ludwig and their father.

Ludwig sighed, “ _Nein_ , I’m not, Kaspar. I’ll be back soon. You two have to promise to behave while I’m gone. _Ja_?”

“ _Ja_ ,” Both boys answered. Ludwig then hugged Kaspar. When Kaspar released him, Ludwig looked to Nikolaus. Nikolaus would not meet Ludwig’s gaze, but hugged him tightly. Ludwig was surprised, but hugged him back. “Please don’t be gone too long, brother,” Nikolaus whispered.

Ludwig smiled, “I said I’d be back soon. I promise I’ll return.” Nikolaus released Ludwig from what felt like a death grip. Ludwig walked back to the carriage and climbed in. The coachman noticed and snapped the reins. The horses neighed and shook their heads before starting down the road. Kaspar and Nikolaus both watched the carriage disappear into the main street. Inside the carriage, Ludwig sighed and leaned back onto the seat.

 

Three days later, Ludwig arrived in Vienna during the night. He tipped the coachman (whose name he finally learned was Bertram) and found the lodging Count Waldstein had also set up for him. The next day, Ludwig was meeting Mozart. Nervousness had finally set itself in and didn’t seem to want to leave. Ludwig packed his sheet music neatly into a notebook with sheets filled with his own music and the letter of introduction from Max Franz. He dressed himself in one of the expensive tailored suits he had bought. The jacket was black velvet with silver lining, the pants and vest were also black velvet. Ludwig tried to work with the wig Count Waldstein had suggested, but decided against wearing it. He styled his hair to look a little better, then was on his way to Mozart’s home.

Bertram was waiting outside for Ludwig as promised the day before. Ludwig climbed into the carriage. Vienna was different during the day than at night. Bertram led the horses down a busy street. People were walking everywhere and yelling. Most of them were dressed in expensive clothing. “ _Frische_ vegetables!” “ _Frische_ made bread!” “ _Frische_ _kuchen_!” Ludwig could hear yelling. The ride wasn’t long. Bertram took him to Mozart’s home—which was far from what Ludwig had expected. Mozart’s home was almost in the middle of town. It was an apartment that was barely taller than the other buildings around it. Bertram opened the door for Ludwig and smiled, “Good luck.”

“ _Danke_ ,” Ludwig replied.

Ludwig walked up to the door and gently knocked. A servant answered the door and looked at Ludwig for a few minutes before asking, “What business do you have here, sir?”

“I- I’m here to see _Herr_ Mozart,” Ludwig answered.

The servant sighed and allowed Ludwig in. “Follow me,” The servant said starting up a flight of stairs, “ _Herr_ Mozart is currently working. He normally does not approve of interruptions.” Something in Ludwig changed. Excitement went to embarrassment to disappointment. He didn’t want to interrupt a master at work. He could never forgive himself for that, but the servant had already started knocking on a large door. “ _Herr_ Mozart,” He started, “a young gentleman is here to see you.”

Ludwig could hear faint footsteps towards the door. Finally, Mozart’s head poked through the door. His wig was a bit wild, there were dark circles under his eyes, and clothes were far from neat. The servant looked from Mozart to Ludwig and then left. “I…I’m Ludwig Van Beethoven, _Herr_ Mozart. I have this letter of introduction from Elector Max Franz,” Ludwig said, pulling the letter out of the notebook he brought.

Mozart took the letter, opened it, and scanned it. He motioned Ludwig into the room. Once inside, Ludwig looked around. The walls were a light blue and another large brown door was on the right side. Gold curtains hung at the windows, portraits with white frames hung from the walls. A grand piano was in the center of the room. Other than the piano, there was a couch, small table, and two chairs. “What do you play?” Mozart asked. His voice was scratchy, as if he had been screaming all night.

“Piano, violin, and viola,” Ludwig answered.

Mozart gestured for him to sit at the piano. He drug a cushioned chair from beside the couch to the side of the piano and slumped down in his seat. “Play something,” Mozart demanded.

Ludwig sat down and started. He quickly decided on one of Mozart’s pieces—Mozart’s C minor Piano Concerto—to show respect. He was barely past the second measure when Mozart stopped him. “Not that,” He hissed, “anybody can play that. Play something of your own.”

Ludwig thought for a second before starting again. He was determined to pour everything he had into it. This was _Mozart_. He was going to make this worth it. It was working, because Mozart was now listening intently. His face seemed to lighten and he even stood up. When Ludwig finished, Mozart actually clapped for him. He was jumping and clapping, “Oh bravo! Bravo! _Ausgezeichnet_! Wait here.” Ludwig watched as Mozart rushed to the door on the right and opened it. The adjoining room was full of people. “Stanzi! Stanzi!” Mozart yelled pointing to the room Ludwig was in, “Watch out for that boy. One day he will give the world something to talk about.”

A woman (who Ludwig guessed was “Stanzi”) took Mozart’s hand and smiled, “We could hear in the next room. You did sound amazing.”

“Play more!” Mozart said. He took his hand from his wife and went back to sit in the chair. His smile seemed to cover his face.

“ _Ja_ , _Herr_ Mozart,” Ludwig said. He began to play again. This quickly began one of the best days of Ludwig’s life.

 

Two weeks passed. When Ludwig returned to his room one night, there was a man standing at his door. “Are you… _Herr_ Beethoven?” The man asked.

Ludwig nodded, “ _Ja_ , how may I help you?”

The man handed him a letter before leaving. Ludwig opened the telegram and read it. He _had_ to go home. He went back to Mozart’s. Mozart understood. Bertram brought him back to Bonn as quickly as possible.

When Ludwig returned home, he found his mother in bed. She died two days later. What had seemed like Ludwig’s greatest days quickly became the saddest. “She was such as kind, loving mother to me,” Ludwig said, “and my best friend.”

It was the first time Kaspar and Nikolaus saw their brother cry.       

           

    

    

 

**Author's Note:**

> "Buffalo, do you write anything else besides historical RPFs?"  
> Yeah, but you won't read those until I'm dead.   
> Anyway, thanks for reading! And yes, there is some German present because both Beethoven and Mozart spoke German. As I said in the summary, there really is little information on how their meeting went, so I wrote how I imagined it. Feedback is greatly appreciated! If you want to address anything or message me in general, feel free to message me here or on my tumblr (callofthebuffalo.tumblr.com). Thanks again! <3


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